Aransas 2018

[Thumper]

All you have to do is ask. If any of the guys or gals driving cars get something just ask one of the guys with a truck to haul it in to the check station, we'll be glad to help out.

Jen, if you lost your ID on the trail it will most likely show itself walking into your stand. If someone picks it up they'll turn it in to the check station.

[Leonitas1306]

Getting stuck

Even some of the big trucks were getting stuck leaving the main roads, I'd be careful if I were you. That tow truck driver made his money on Sunday for sure!

So the main roads are just at the entrance right ? What is is pot holes and mudd ? I haven’t a clue here. Lord ,I’m missing my FX4 ... arghhh . I flooded it during spring turkey up to the steering wheel . But we have mud holes and a lot of water and sugar sand . How about a pointer . Lol

[Leonitas1306]

I hope to make your acquaintance

All you have to do is ask. If any of the guys or gals driving cars get something just ask one of the guys with a truck to haul it in to the check station, we'll be glad to help out.

Jen, if you lost your ID on the trail it will most likely show itself walking into your stand. If someone picks it up they'll turn it in to the check station.

Thumper , I enjoy your posts short sweet and no Bravo Sierra . I’ll help anybody who needs my help also . Pay it forward . At least we don’t have guys just wallering out the trails with buggies during hunting season. I’d ride a horse if they let me .no lie.

[Leonitas1306]

It hasn’t stopped raining there and it looks like the first week will be a lot of rain also. That can be good

[Mr. Public]

Alright. I'll go ahead and be the first to admit it. Aransas NWR is the absolutely most miserable and nasty place I've experienced. Encountered mosquitos like you'd never understand, Alligators and cotton mouth snakes all within steps distance.

I was there about 15 years ago as a boy. The place is even more indescribable than I could recall. ITS ABSOULTELY A MISERABLE JUNGLE. What a challenge!
Myself and a couple of my partners drove the refuge Friday afternoon, the auto tour loop, which was no where that I initially intended to hunt. We all 4 scouted Saturday, arrived at 6:30 am, the refuge did not open scouting until 7:30. I was 5th in line. Thumper, you were right behind me, I heard the officer call you by name and put 2 and 2 together.

We drove ALL the way to the very back south end, until you couldn't go any further. Satellite scouting doesn't do this place a lick of justice. It was all WAY different than expected. I knew before applying, ARANSAS was a miserable place. I did not expect this. 30'' of rain in the last 2 weeks, EVERYTHING IS UNDERWATER! If you don't have a 4WD, stay on the main road. If you don't have hip waders, your boots will get filled with water, you might as well where shoes and just accept getting soaked up to thigh deep. The mosquitos will wipe you out. We all carried OFF to continually apply, wore FROG TOGS to keep skeeters off, and took a mosquito tent and cut it up to wear over our heads. STILL, mosquitos hoarded us ALL DAY. We each covered over 40 miles in 3 trucks touring the refuge Saturday morning, NO DRY LAND FOUND until 4pm. Let that "SOAK" in. The end of Saturday, resulted in setting 4 tripods in areas that we found without water, we were at our ends with the place, didn't really care anymore, fully exhausted, near heat stroke conditions. F**K that place.

I made myself go back Sunday. I got on foot and covered MILES! If I wasn't in water, I was taking steps over vines, position ivy, and weeds that were up to my chest. I want you to imagine lifting your feet waist high just to get ONE step in, or else you couldn't walk. Now imagine, getting into a spot off the road, in the dark, quietly. You still don't have an idea.

Over 2.5 days, I encountered 3 bucks and 1 hog while driving. Nothing on foot. I estimate that I put in nearly 60+ miles of driving.


We are still coming for the archery hunt, BUT I'm on the fence about paying for the gun hunt, it is a difficult hunt, and I'm for these hunts, but to allow myself more time at ANWR, it isn't really worth it for what else I could be doing. Im going to let luck determine it all, tomorrow right before the deadline, I'm flipping a coin as to whether I pay for the gun hunt, HEADS= PAY / Tails= NOT.


Also, if you aren't in shape in the slightest bit. Go ahead and save yourself some money, time and frustration. Its not going to be a cake walk.

[Jen]

Even some of the big trucks were getting stuck leaving the main roads, I'd be careful if I were you. That tow truck driver made his money on Sunday for sure!

I didn’t have any problems with the roads at all..did you maybe use the “commercial entrance”? That road was nasty.


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[Slim79x]

So the main roads are just at the entrance right ? What is is pot holes and mudd ? I haven’t a clue here. Lord ,I’m missing my FX4 ... arghhh . I flooded it during spring turkey up to the steering wheel . But we have mud holes and a lot of water and sugar sand . How about a pointer . Lol

There are gravel roads throughout the refuge, that's what i meant by "main" there are plenty of less graded dirt roads that the folks in trucks utilized to get a little deeper here and there. Those are the ones people were getting stuck on according to the warden. You can get wherever you need to go from just using the gravel roads.

[Thumper]

Lets hope it dries out some before Sat. Bought a pair of cheap camo high-top tennis shoes this afternoon and 6 cans of 40% deet Repel. I'm going wading where mosquitoes are known to roam. Some call it bowhunting aransas, others call it hell, I call it both.

Saw a couple of young bucks messing around yearling doe, didn't see any hogs. Tracks were all washed out from the heavy rains and surprisingly acorns, every where. If there were ever a year to discourage new hunters, its this year.

[CoswayTyler]

Alright. I'll go ahead and be the first to admit it. Aransas NWR is the absolutely most miserable and nasty place I've experienced. Encountered mosquitos like you'd never understand, Alligators and cotton mouth snakes all within steps distance.

I was there about 15 years ago as a boy. The place is even more indescribable than I could recall. ITS ABSOULTELY A MISERABLE JUNGLE. What a challenge!
Myself and a couple of my partners drove the refuge Friday afternoon, the auto tour loop, which was no where that I initially intended to hunt. We all 4 scouted Saturday, arrived at 6:30 am, the refuge did not open scouting until 7:30. I was 5th in line. Thumper, you were right behind me, I heard the officer call you by name and put 2 and 2 together.

We drove ALL the way to the very back south end, until you couldn't go any further. Satellite scouting doesn't do this place a lick of justice. It was all WAY different than expected. I knew before applying, ARANSAS was a miserable place. I did not expect this. 30'' of rain in the last 2 weeks, EVERYTHING IS UNDERWATER! If you don't have a 4WD, stay on the main road. If you don't have hip waders, your boots will get filled with water, you might as well where shoes and just accept getting soaked up to thigh deep. The mosquitos will wipe you out. We all carried OFF to continually apply, wore FROG TOGS to keep skeeters off, and took a mosquito tent and cut it up to wear over our heads. STILL, mosquitos hoarded us ALL DAY. We each covered over 40 miles in 3 trucks touring the refuge Saturday morning, NO DRY LAND FOUND until 4pm. Let that "SOAK" in. The end of Saturday, resulted in setting 4 tripods in areas that we found without water, we were at our ends with the place, didn't really care anymore, fully exhausted, near heat stroke conditions. F**K that place.

I made myself go back Sunday. I got on foot and covered MILES! If I wasn't in water, I was taking steps over vines, position ivy, and weeds that were up to my chest. I want you to imagine lifting your feet waist high just to get ONE step in, or else you couldn't walk. Now imagine, getting into a spot off the road, in the dark, quietly. You still don't have an idea.

Over 2.5 days, I encountered 3 bucks and 1 hog while driving. Nothing on foot. I estimate that I put in nearly 60+ miles of driving.


We are still coming for the archery hunt, BUT I'm on the fence about paying for the gun hunt, it is a difficult hunt, and I'm for these hunts, but to allow myself more time at ANWR, it isn't really worth it for what else I could be doing. Im going to let luck determine it all, tomorrow right before the deadline, I'm flipping a coin as to whether I pay for the gun hunt, HEADS= PAY / Tails= NOT.


Also, if you aren't in shape in the slightest bit. Go ahead and save yourself some money, time and frustration. Its not going to be a cake walk.

This honestly pretty much somes it up. Please, hydrate or you very well could seriously get in some trouble y’all. I forced my self each scouting day to drink a liter of water before I stepped out of the truck. Then I would drink another liter before I got back in the car. Then a liter on the way home.

[CoswayTyler]

So the main roads are just at the entrance right ? What is is pot holes and mudd ? I haven’t a clue here. Lord ,I’m missing my FX4 ... arghhh . I flooded it during spring turkey up to the steering wheel . But we have mud holes and a lot of water and sugar sand . How about a pointer . Lol

You will be alright in a car just be very careful about leaving the main roads.

[CoswayTyler]

I will be hunting Saturday all day, Sunday evening, Tuesday evening, Wednesday all day, Thursday all day, Friday evening. I have marking tape 80 yards on either side of my stands that would be the most likely way for someone to enter. I plan on taking my stands out Friday evening after I’m done hunting and I will be taking my marking tape down with me so that hunters on the last weekend aren’t confused by my tape.

So this is my recommendation to everyone who is scouting or coming later in the hunt week to setup. I would wait until 11am - 3pm to scout around. If a trail, path, road, etc. is marked but your still interested about it I would check it out but with a very light foot. Keep your head on a swivel and if you see a stand or someone just back out the way you came. Plus I probably wouldn’t scout an area that has a vehicle parked by the tape. It’s 30k + acres I promise there is plenty of room for everyone.
When I was talking to the ranger he said the problem with this hunt is people have a expectation of it’s going to be a “normal” hunt. Drive up, easy walk, hunt until 10 am kill your deer and go on about your day. It’s not, you need to get in that mindset now. Time is going to be your best friend on this hunt. If you can find an area where you have some 20 yard shots, dry ground and acorns then I’m willing to bet you will kill something. I had it in my head that I wasn’t going to shoot does or pigs on this hunt and try to shoot a good buck. After scouting and seeing what you have to go through, I promise any animal you kill of this hunt is a trophy and well earned and deserved.

[returning egret]

I will be hunting Saturday all day, Sunday evening, Tuesday evening, Wednesday all day, Thursday all day, Friday evening. I have marking tape 80 yards on either side of my stands that would be the most likely way for someone to enter. I plan on taking my stands out Friday evening after I’m done hunting and I will be taking my marking tape down with me so that hunters on the last weekend aren’t confused by my tape.

So this is my recommendation to everyone who is scouting or coming later in the hunt week to setup. I would wait until 11am - 3pm to scout around. If a trail, path, road, etc. is marked but your still interested about it I would check it out but with a very light foot. Keep your head on a swivel and if you see a stand or someone just back out the way you came. Plus I probably wouldn’t scout an area that has a vehicle parked by the tape. It’s 30k + acres I promise there is plenty of room for everyone.
When I was talking to the ranger he said the problem with this hunt is people have a expectation of it’s going to be a “normal” hunt. Drive up, easy walk, hunt until 10 am kill your deer and go on about your day. It’s not, you need to get in that mindset now. Time is going to be your best friend on this hunt. If you can find an area where you have some 20 yard shots, dry ground and acorns then I’m willing to bet you will kill something. I had it in my head that I wasn’t going to shoot does or pigs on this hunt and try to shoot a good buck. After scouting and seeing what you have to go through, I promise any animal you kill of this hunt is a trophy and well earned and deserved.

Thanks that helps. From what we're reading sounds like it's all underwater. Makes one wonder how we're gonna find anything we did shoot. Blood don't float!

[Leonitas1306]

Thank you for your kindness

I didn’t have any problems with the roads at all..did you maybe use the “commercial entrance”? That road was nasty.


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I know that your knowledge about the place . I thank you for sharing . I am really looking for this hunt ! Good luck

[Leonitas1306]

Tracking in the water

Thanks that helps. From what we're reading sounds like it's all underwater. Makes one wonder how we're gonna find anything we did shoot. Blood don't float!

Well I’ll share my experience in tracking game in water . A well placed shot will cause blood to spray every time it steps . It might be lung matter or gut . It will be found on the floating veditation . The path will be visable if you have light . The deer will probably make a terrible thrashing in water sound . Hopefully he will be floating . Sometimes they sink . They also lay in the water with their noses up if you manage to close in on a wounded deer that needed more time . Like a liver shot . Watch for gators and snakes walk slow so you don’t splash and wash out the sign . If you shoot a deer in the water it’s easy to drag . If their are trees or brush they also will show blood .if the water is shallow you will find the bottom stirred up and see prints . It is an art . I’m learning how not to walk into cactuses n such . Lmao I just a Florida cracker. This hunt is going to be all to familiar. Good luck

[Leonitas1306]

That makes sense

There are gravel roads throughout the refuge, that's what i meant by "main" there are plenty of less graded dirt roads that the folks in trucks utilized to get a little deeper here and there. Those are the ones people were getting stuck on according to the warden. You can get wherever you need to go from just using the gravel roads.

I can see on the map the less improved roads . I’ll walk . I cat wait . Wear boots that will fill up with water dump out the water and put on dry socks . We used sneekers in the stand they were light and packable and quiet on the stand .